Sky Sports will air Chelsea’s trip to Arsenal this coming Sunday in a monumental clash between two London rivals that carries significant importance for both teams, but for contrasting reasons. Arsenal, who are currently joint-top of the Premier League table alongside surprise package Leicester, will look to make a statement of intent by beating the defending champions, while Chelsea are in desperate need of three points in order to push themselves away from a relegation battle that nobody thought was possible. Betway were just one of numerous bookmakers who installed Chelsea as favourites to successfully defend their title after blowing the league away in 2014/2015, but despite being unbeaten in their last seven games, they currently sit just four points away from the relegation zone in 14th. Chelsea, however, are unbeaten in their previous five visits to the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal’s 3-1 victory in December 2010 the last time that they were victorious on home soil against the Blues, who were then managed by Carlo Ancelotti.

Much has changed over the last four years, but one thing that has remain the same is Arsene Wenger at the helm at Arsenal. The 66-year-old Frenchman has faced eleven different Chelsea managers during his 18-year spell in charge at Arsenal, with the game on Sunday seeing him come up against Guus Hiddink for the second time after the Dutchman was brought back to Chelsea as interim manager in an effort to steady the ship at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal will be looking for revenge after Hiddink not only got the better of Wenger at Wembley in the FA Cup Semi-Finals via a 2-1 win, but also inflicted a heavy 4-1 defeat less than a month later at the Emirates Stadium in the latter stages of the 2008/2009 Premier League season.

A repeat of that scoreline appears unlikely, as reflected in these Premier League betting odds on Betway’s website. Arsenal will go into the game as 21/20 favourites to pick up all three points, with a nine-game unbeaten run at home illustrating just how good they have been in front of their own fans. Chelsea may believe they have Arsenal’s number at the Emirates Stadium, but picking up just one victory from their last eight league fixtures away from Stamford Bridge not only reflects the struggles they have endured this season, but also their inability to pick up results on the road. Their recent 3-0 victory at Crystal Palace was, however, hugely impressive and pointed to immediate improvements under Hiddink after he took over from Jose Mourinho, but it is Chelsea’s only win from their last five games.

Games between Arsenal and Chelsea often produce fireworks, but with the 2015/2016 Premier League season heading towards the business phase where every result is crucial, three points could make a big difference for both teams. Arsenal, despite being joint-top, have to prove that they have the winning mentality and prevent slipping up in pivotal games – something that has proved extremely costly in the past – while Chelsea need to claw themselves away from a perilous position to inject new-found belief and confidence throughout the club. 13/5 represents strong value in the latest Premier League betting odds with Betway to back Chelsea to extend their impressive form at the Emirates Stadium, but although they have kept three clean sheets in their last five away fixtures, the manner of the goals conceded at home against West Brom (2-2) and Everton (3-3) indicated a lack of cohesion and understanding. It does not bode well against an Arsenal side who, although are only the fifth highest scorers in the Premier League, have two of the most in-form players in Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil who can take the game away from Chelsea if they are defensively vulnerable once again.